SINGAPORE - A new inclusive playground featuring Singapore’s first slide with wheelchair access was officially opened on June 17 at Sun Plaza Park in Tampines Avenue 7.
Located about a 10-minute walk from Tampines MRT station, the playground is designed with barrier-free routes and equipment like slides and swings that are accessible to all users, including those on wheelchairs.
Bright colours are used for the equipment and surfaces, to support those with low vision.
The playground has four zones, each themed after a different mode of seed dispersal. Plants associated with the varying dispersal methods can be found around each zone. This is intended to encourage children to interact with and learn about the natural environment.
The playground is a collaboration between the National Parks Board (NParks) and the Magical Bridge Foundation (MBF), a California-based non-profit organisation known for designing inclusive playgrounds. Organisations like SPD Singapore @ Tampines and M.Y. World @ Tampines North were consulted during the process.
Spanning 3,800 sq m – slightly more than half the size of a football field – the playground is fenced, giving caregivers peace of mind while their children play.
The playground was funded by a $3.9 million donation to the Garden City Fund from MBF board members Amanda and Vince Steckler.
Set up in 2002, the Garden City Fund is NParks’ registered charity and Institution of a Public Character. It supports projects that complement NParks’ efforts towards fulfilling its City in Nature vision.
Amanda Steckler continued to support the project after her husband, the former chief executive of multinational cybersecurity firm AVAST Software, died in 2021 after a car accident.
The playground in Sun Plaza Park is MBF’s second project here. Its first, called A Whale of A Tale, is located outside the National Museum Singapore and was officially opened in October 2025.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on June 17, Senior Minister of State for National Development Sun Xueling said: “I’m delighted that we now have one of the most comprehensive, inclusive and accessible play spaces in Singapore, right here at Sun Plaza Park.
“Beyond physical accessibility, the playground also caters to different sensory and developmental needs.”
Quiet corners and a sensory garden with raised planters and plants that are safe to touch and rich in scent provide therapeutic benefits, she added.
The Slide and Tot Zone is designed for younger children aged two to five and features lower play structures that are easier to access.
Among its highlights is a Hideaway Hut, a quiet retreat where children who are feeling overwhelmed or experiencing sensory overload can take a break and calm down.
The zone also includes two wheelchair-accessible slides with bench-style landings, allowing users to have more time to safely transfer to a mobility device or wait for assistance.
Both the slides and the Hideaway Hut are patented designs developed by MBF.
The Spin Zone has a spinning carousel installed flush against the ground for easier access.
“For a person with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, the feedback to your brain of spinning is often similar to taking the medicine Ritalin, which means they really need it,” said Olenka Villarreal, founder of MBF. Ritalin stimulates the brain to improve focus and impulse control.
“If you spin for 10 minutes, the effect actually stays in your brain for up to eight hours.”
Spanning 3,800 sq m, the playground is fenced, giving caregivers peace of mind while their children play.
ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
Mashurny Herniaty, a 46-year-old housewife, brought her 11-year-old daughter, Alaynaa Isabella Chia, to the playground on June 17. Alaynaa has cerebral palsy and uses a motorised wheelchair.
“We’d love to have the merry-go-round somewhere nearer our house. I just push it, and then it turns, so you don’t have to make so much effort,” said the mother. She and her daughter live in Yishun.
The Swing Zone features different types of swings, from saucer swings to dual-user swings and a wheelchair-accessible swing. Villarreal said: “The need to swing is more than just fun. Swinging is the original form of therapy for people with autism. As an older adult, it also helps retain our memory.”
An overhead structure locks the wheelchair in place and allows users to swing independently, using a rope for control.
Chan Fui Lee, a 57-year-old mother of two who left her role as a marketing manager to be a full-time caregiver to her daughter, said: “The swing here is safer, so she’s more comfortable and that’s why she’s willing to try.”
Her 23-year-old younger daughter, Cheong Chel Sie, has chromosome 18P deletion, a rare genetic disorder that limits her motor and cognitive development. Chan pushes her around in a pram.
“Her lifespan will probably be another five to 10 years, so we decided to just have quality time with her and create memories, and let her enjoy the rest of her life.”
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